Display cabinet



Uct; 1936. A. VANDERVELD DISPLAY CABINET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 11, 1935 Oct. 6, 1936. A, VANDERVELD 1 2,056,544

DISPLAY CABINET- Filed Feb. 11, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 6, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPLAY CABINET Anthony Vanderveld, Grand Rapids, Mich, as-v signor to Grand Rapids Store Equipment Company, Grand Rapids, Mich, a corporation of Michigan This invention relates to display cases, cabinets, or wardrobes used in stores for holding clothing of various kinds. The case or cabinet is made of a height such that the longer garments, as overcoats or dresses, may be suspended therein on a. single supporting rod. with my invention, there is provided a means whereby either one or a plurality of supporting rods may be mounted and carried in the case or cabinet between the ends thereof in spaced apart relation to each other so as to hold a single row of long garments, a double row of shorter garments such as mens suits or the like, or three rows or more of still shorter garments,

such as childrens clothing.

The present invention has for its object and purpose the provision of a very simple, practical, economical and especially serviceable construction of display case, cabinet or wardrobe wherein the garment holding rods are quickly and readily adjustable to different positions so as to properly space the same either from the floor or from each other for the most effective carrying and supporting of garments in the cabinet, and to obtain the maximum use of the space for receiving and housing in display position the garments of whatever length they may be.

An understanding of the invention may be had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating my invention applied to a garment holding cabinet or wardrobe.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section therethrough.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal and horizontal section through one of the garment holding rods illustrating the manner in which it is adjustably supported between the ends of the cabinet or wardrobe.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse section and partial elevation showing one end of the garment carrying rod detachably secured in place on its support.

Figs. 5 and 6 are elevations of one of the rod supports and illustrating the manner in which the rod is located in place in any selected slot therein.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevation at the inner side of one of the rod supports.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section showing the supporting standard used which at times may be desirable to reinforce the garment holding rod at an intermediate point.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the rod supporting standard, and

Fig. 10 is a plan view and horizontal section thereof.

Like reference characters refer to like parts 5 in the different figures of the drawings.

The wardrobe or cabinet has a bottom I, a top 2 and back 3, and spaced apart vertical ends. The ends in practice are made up of interior frames having front and rear vertical 10 posts 4 with a central vertical post or mullion 5 all suitably connected at their upper and lower ends and covered at their inner and outer sides by inner and outer thin panels 5 which may be of veneer. 15

At the inner side of each of the cabinet or wardrobe ends, rod supporting bars are permanently secured. These bars in practice consist of outer elongated channels l of metal in which, in fairly closely spaced relation, keyhole 39 slots 8 are cut, the larger end of each slot being above its lower narrower portion. The keyhole slots 8 are located vertically substantially the full length of the bars i. Said bars l are secured in place by screws at suitable intervals in 5 the length thereof which pass through the same and into the central mullions 5 thereby providing a sufllclently strong and stable support for the weight of the garments hung on the rods which, as will hereafter be described, extend 30 horizontally between the bars l.

Within each channel bar 8, preferably, there is mounted a flat bar 9 which is secured in place and held by the same screws which are used in attaching the bars l in place. The bars 9 have 35 slots Ill therein which are of the same width throughout and having a width at least equal to the diameter of the larger upper portions of the keyhole slots Said slots it at their upper ends are in direct conjunction with the upper 40 larger portions of the keyhole slots 8 and at their lower ends extend below the lower narrower portions of said keyhole slots, as shown in Fig. 7.

The garment carrying rods which are located 45 horizontally between and supported by the bars i comprise a tubular rod portion ii in each end of which a cylindrical plug i 2 is inserted. One of these plugs, at one end of the tubular rod Ii, is permanently secured in place, as by a screw 50 shown at it in Fig. 3. The other of the plugs is movable lengthwise of the tubular rod for a short distance, as will be later described. Each of the plugs at its outer end has a cylindrical projection Id of a diameter less than the diam- 55 eter of the body of the plug l2 and of a size such as to pass freely through the larger substantially circular upper portion of a keyhole slot 8. Each of these projections I, a short distance inward from its outer end, is machined so as to cut away the metal and provide slots I! as shown in Fig. 4, two of these slots being provided and located at opposite sides of the projection H, with a relatively narrow neck IG' between the bottoms of the slots IS. The thickness of the neck I8 is slightly less than the width of the narrower lower portions of the keyhole slots 8. The end portion of the tubular rod II in which the movable plug l2, previously mentioned, is mounted has a short horizontal slot H in one side thereof. A pin l 8 extends through the slot I1 and is permanently secured to the movable plug i2, whereby such movable plug may be moved to its outer position It is apparent with this construction of rodthat the rod may be placed between any two keyhole slots which are located directly opposite each other in the same horizontal plane in the two supporting bars I. The projecting end H on the fixed plug may be inserted through the upper larger end of the selected keyhole slot 8 and then the movable plug I2, which is withdrawn into the tubular rod H at the time of starting the connection of the same to the supporting bar 1, is moved outwardly by engaging the pin l8 and pushing outwardly thereon, whereupon the head H on the movable plug passes through the upper larger end of the selected slot 8. Usually this is done, as indicated in Fig. 5, with the rod turned so as to present the pin l8 at the upper side of the rod and with the neck I 8 turned to occupy a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 5. Then by engaging the pin i 8 after the projection II on the movable plug has been moved into the slot 8, the entire rod may be turned toward the front to bring the necks l8 into a position to drop into the narrow lower portions of the slots 8, as in Fig. 6.

It is evident that the removal of a rod may be accomplished by merely reversing the sequence of movements which is followed in attaching the rod. After a rod is in place, for instance the rod H shown in full lines in Fig. 1, garment hangers on which garments are suspended may be hung from the rod and in the case where the cabinet or wardrobe is to be used to hold and exhibit longer garments one rod ll alone will be used, located at a sufllcient height that the lower ends of the garment are above the floor I of the cabinet.

The provision of opposed slots I 5 in a movable head M is of considerable importance. When the neck I6 is disposed in the lower part of a key-hole slot (as in Fig. 6) and the rod is lifted upwardly for the purpose of disconnecting the same it is evident that the upper rounded side of the neck will strike against the curved upper side of the slot and that the movable plug l4 may then be readily withdrawn. If, instead of the parallel slots IS, a continuous groove was cut around the neck in the same plane where the slots are now located lifting the rod would cause the head to be lifted sufilciently in many cases that a part of the bar 1 at the upper side of the key-hole slot would enter the groove and the movement of the plug to disconnect the same from the vertical bar 1 would be prevented, this being-particularly true in those cases where an is not used in a great many cases and is in no sense an essential part of the invention. Therefore, the parallel slots I5, though slightly more expensive to machine than is a continuous groove around the head, are used because of their many additional advantages. The reinforcing plate 9 is a substantial necessity in the case of a continuous groove and it can be eliminated completely by using the opposed parallel slots II.

In some cases the weight of. the garments may be suflicient to how the supporting rod ll downwardly at its middle portion. In such case, if desired, an auxiliary intermediate support is used as shown in Fig. 8. This support comprises a vertical post I 9 with a suitable base 28 at its lower end. Two clamping members 2| and 23 are adjustably mounted lengthwise of the post, one of said clamping members having a finger 22 extending thereto comes underneath and forms a seat for the lower side of the rod II. The

clamping members 2| and 23 are releasably held on the posts ill to any position to which adjusted by screws 24 as shown.

In Fig. 1 long garments such as overcoats are indicated at 25 in which case only one rod ll located toward the upper end of the cabinet will be used. When shorter garments are placed in the cabinet or wardrobe, such as indicated at 26, a second rod shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 may be placed horizontally between the supporting bars 1 and garments of the same or shorter length than those shown at 26 also suspended therefrom and thus use the space within the cabinet or wardrobe to hold two full rows of garments. There are other garments, such as childrens suits and the like, which occupy a still shorter space length and which may permit the use of three or more of the rods properly spaced apart. It is, of course, evident that on one rod children's garments of a certain length may be carried, and on the other rod garments of either a shorter or longer length supported. It is therefore necessary that the adjustability of the rods ll shall cover a wide range. This is fully accomplished with my invention and every condition with respect to the length of garments which may be housed within the cabinet or wardrobe may be fulfilled, insofar as properly locating the rods l l the proper distance from each other and from the floor of the cabinet.

In Fig. 1 the supporting channel bars 1 are shown as terminating a short distance above the floor. Of course, the same may be extended entirely to the floor if wanted. Usually, however, it is not necessary to extend them to the floor, inasmuch as there is not likely to be any occasion for locating a rod II in close proximity to the floor. Even the lowest rod for supporting garments of the shortest length will be some distance above the fioor and this shortest distance that a rod ll might be needed above the floor governs the position at which the supporting bars terminate at their lower ends.

The invention is one of practical merit and has proved its value in actual use. The claim appended hereto defines the invention which is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within the scope of the said claim.

I claim:

In a construction of the class described having two parallelly located vertically positioned bars,

each having a plurality of slots therein, said slots being of key-hole shape with the larger end uppermost, the combination of, a tubular rod having a plug fixed in one end, said plug protruding beyond the tubular rod in a cylindrical extension, said extension being cut away at a point spaced from its ends to form spaced slots having parallel bottom surfaces, the slots being of such depth that the extension will slide downwardly into the narrowed portion of a chosen slot in one of the said parallel bars, the other end or the tubular rod receiving a second plug, means for slidably mounting said plug therein. said plug being slidable to an extended position relative to the tubular rod, means for preventing rotation of said last mentioned plug, when extended, having its extended portion similarly formed to the extended portion of the first plug, the slots of the second mentioned plug being alined with those of the first mentioned plug for the purpose described.

ANTHONY VANDERVELD. 

